You Only Get So Much by Dan Kolbet

over the money
left behind by the insurance and estate. I had already decided that the only
money I would pull from the estate trust was money to cover the expenses at the
house, like the mortgage payment, utilities and groceries. I felt this was fair
because it was for the benefit of the kids. I wasn't about to take advantage of
what my brother left behind for my own personal gain. I'm not a thief.  
    "Of course not,
that was meant for the girls," she says.
    "But you need it
and it's not doing any good in an account," I tell her.
    "That money isn't
meant for me; and damn it, that's not why I'm talking to you about this,"
her voice is getting strained and I can tell this is difficult for her.   "I don't want to be a burden,
William, and neither does your father; but we need a place to stay and Trevor's
house is big enough for all of us."
    The Cedar House? Oh, no.
This can't be happening. My head spins. My parents moving in? You hear stories
about failures in life returning home to their parents' house to live above the
garage or dwell in the basement, but parents moving into their kid's house? Not
too often. No less, a dead child's home which is currently being inhabited by
me and the girls.
    "How can we provide
the level of care that Dad needs?" I ask, trying to think of something
that might dissuade Mom from this move, which she has clearly already decided
on. I'm not even sure why I asked.
    "He has received
little attention at the GreyHawk. The nurses leave the majority of the tasks to
me as a courtesy, which I appreciate. He needs to eat, like we all do and he
likes his sunshine. His medicine is mostly covered by his government benefits.
He'll need two trips a week to the physical therapist, but I can always take
him on the public bus system, if it's too much for you."
    Guilt tripping could
have been Mom's profession.
    "No, that's not too
much," I say, referring to the physical therapy appointments alone. She's
making a foothold with the physical therapy and hoisting them both up for the
full stay. How can I say no? Should I say no? Do I have the right to say no? If
I hadn't come back to Spokane, Mom and Dad would probably already live at the
house and would be taking care of Kendall and Gracie. I shouldn't be the one to
stand in the way, as uncomfortable as it may be.
    "Then it's settled,
we'll move in this week," she says, as if this was ever a discussion in
the first place. She knew the answer before she came.
    "Where will you
stay?" I ask. "The place only has three bedrooms and that little
guest room."
    "That's part of why
I wanted to visit today. I see that you've not moved into Trevor and Jennifer's
room, so we'll take that one. Besides, it's on the first floor so we can get
the wheelchair in and out easily."
    "Where am I
supposed to sleep?" I say, feeling like a teenager again, asking my mommy
for something.
    "I suppose you'll
continue to stay on the couch, although it seems to me that Trevor's office is
nicely appointed and has room for a bed, if you're not interested in sleeping
on the couch any longer."
    "I'm not."
    "Not what?"
    "Not interested in
sleeping on the couch any longer," I say.
    "Well then this is
just the boost you need to move your belongings into the office or that room
April was in."
    "Great."
    I look over at Dad, who
has been staring blankly at the few feet of grass in front of him this whole
time. He lifts his head up a bit and ever so slightly turns it toward me. Mom's
not paying attention. Dad doesn't say a word, but he locks eyes with me and I
swear I see him nod his head up and down slightly. A gesture of thanks maybe?
Or a recognition that Mom will always get her way, so there is no use arguing
with her. This, I feel is more likely. Either way, I like that Dad is
communicating with me. Even with nods. And it seems as though he's going to be
around a lot more to do it. Maybe, just maybe, he's actually pleased about
that.

Chapter 15

 
    The next few weeks of
summer drag on like a